» Hold It In, Private

[Constance Hatchitt]

She didn't have to be here. She didn't want to be here. It was illogical to keep her here. A simple cast would be sufficient. It was a broken arm, not a broken mind. Besides, even if her mind was broken there wasn't much anyone could do. She didn't even want them to do anything. Nothing they could do would bring Dianna back. They could stitch her cuts, cure her broken bones, and remove all physical pain. But the emotional pain was still there, and it was clear it was going nowhere.

Hours went by, at least Connie assumed they were hours. Each minute that passed felt like a year all in it's own. Why Dianna? Why not some meaningless slum rat? It didn't make sense. Connie wasn't sure if it ever would make sense.

Medication was fed to her every so often. Connie didn't take much notice of it. She just let them feed her whatever. She felt immobilized by her grief. It was paralyzing. If Miss Black felt as though a slimy liquid would give her back her strength, who was she to argue? Miss Black also promised that in the morning she'd be able to return to her routine, classes and such. Connie was looking forward to that, she needed to distract herself. Maybe she could go ask Cai for her broom back, the quidditch season was nearly over, he didn't need it anymore-not with how awful the team did this year. However, the thought of asking Cai for anything was an equally fearsome thought.

She would have to find something else to do.

[Gabe Hatchitt]

Gabe had gotten the letter from his mother and father. Beatrice was furious, and Rufus was heartbroken. Unfortunately, they had a funeral to plan, so Connie didn't get to see them. Yet. Gabe was certain that their parents would make an appearance, he just wasn't sure when.

After auror training for the morning, of the stealth training type, Gabe walked up to the school and got a student to let him in after coercion, begging, and a small bribe. He explained to the nurse who he was and why before walking over to Connie's bed.

"Fucking Merlin, Conn," he said, sitting by her bed. "I can't believe you... Connie, you would have killed Mum and Dad too." It wasn't even a question. They could have recovered from Mercy dying - they had expected it, when she was little - but Constance would have blindsided them.

The Hatchitts were loyal to their own. It was a thing. Connie, so soon after Dianna, would not have gone well for them. "I mean, bloody hell. You're not the only one who lost Ianna," he snapped. Gabe was out of denial, grief-wise, and officially mired in anger. At himself, at vampires, at the universe.

This was not a good time.

[Constance Hatchitt]

She had just began to doze off when Gabe stormed in and hovered over her bed. He was saying something, more like yelling it, but Connie couldn't focus on his words. They all jumbled together in her head like an incomplete puzzle left forgotten by a distracted child. "Go away, Gabe." She mumbled and turned her head to face the opposite direction. Her parents would've moved on. Everyone would've moved on.

It wasn't until he mentioned her name that she looked over at him again. Connie's eyes were swollen red and somehow were still producing tears that continously fell down her cheeks. "Was she your best friend? Did you tell her all your secrets?" She was as close to screaming as she could be as her anger and grief once again overcame her. "Did you lie besides her on sleepless nights? Did you plan pranks with her? Did you go everywhere with her! NO! You didn't. She was-"

She couldn't continue.

Turning her body to face away from Gabe, she closed her eyes tightly and tried to conjure up Dianna's image in her mind. But Dianna was already gone. Her face already had a shiny hue to it, as though it'd soon be gone. Sobs racked her body for what seemed to be the hundredth time. This wasn't fair.

Nothing would ever be the same.

[Gabe Hatchitt]

"I refuse," he said, "If only because mother and father told me not to leave until they arrived." Believe me when I say there are things I would rather be doing, even if he loved her a lot. He didn't want to be there. He wanted to be... somewhere calm, and nice, and without pain.

"She lived in my house for months, Conn," he said, "she was like a little sister to me. I saw her more often than I saw you, for chrissake!" He had never thought Ianna would be in more danger than when she had come to his house for shelter. He had been wrong.

They sat in silence for a moment. "I can't - I can't lose you too," he said, resting his elbows on his lap and his head on his hands. The loss of Dianna had been more than enough grieving for him, thank you very much.

[Constance Hatchitt]

"Go to hell, Gabe." She muttered. She hated him. He promised to keep Ianna safe. He swore to it, and then he failed. And now-now her best friend would never again smile. "I hate you. You promised-you promised. Why didn't you protect her! You swore you would. What sane person allows someone to be killed when they promised to protect them? Just go away. Leave me alone." Connie knew, she knew she was being over dramatic and slightly stupid. But she couldn't take this heart ache. She wasn't built for such pain. She wasn't sure if anyone was.

Connie dug her nails into the pillow she was holding and stayed facing away from Gabe. He didn't need to see her tears, he didn't deserve to. Gabe held only broken promises, and such false words shattered her world.

"You've already lost me." She whispered so low that he probably didn't even hear her.

[Gabe Hatchitt]

Gabe glowered at his sister. "I can't predict the future, Conn," he said, "and she didn't ask my permission before a goddamned vampire murdered her, either." His sister was an idiot, in Gabe's opinion. It was one thing to grieve. It was another entirely to blame him for everything.

He was not having a good day. "Not until Mum and Dad get here," he said, sitting down in the chair by her bed and resting his head in his hands for a few minutes. He didn't catch the whispered words.

"I'm sorry, what?" he asked, voice muffled by his hands.

[Constance Hatchitt]

Connie felt empty. Kitty should've let her jump, that would've been the better option out of all of this. If she had jumped, if she had died then none of this would be happening. She'd no longer feel any sort of pain.

She missed Cailean terribly. He would've been here. He should've been there. He would know what to say, he wouldn't yell at her. Cailean would tell her he loved her. But that was the thing, he didn't love her anymore, no. Cailean Beckett hated her with a burning passion. A sob caught itself in her throat and she willed herself to stop crying. Connie hated feeling so feeble.

Conn. Gabe kept calling her Conn, just like he always had. But she hated it. She hated the nickname now. Why should she be able to be called Conn when Dianna would no longer be able to be called by any nickname. She hated this. She hated him. Connie didn't want to be around her brother, she wanted Dianna back. Cailean even. She couldn't do this without them, she couldn't breathe without them. But she would have to learn how to.

"Nothing, Gabe. I didn't say anything." She whispered once more. Turning to face him, Connie wiped at her never ending parade of tears. "Why her? Why did she have to-" She paused, too afraid to say the next word, but at the same time too afraid not to.. "Why did she have to go?"

[Gabe Hatchitt]

"I don't know," he admitted. "I just don't know." This sucked, to put it in simple terms. He wished he was at auror training, getting his arse kicked. Or sleeping. Or reading. Really, just anything other than this - Jesse and Megan could deal with depressed Connie, it was not Gabe's job. He made up his decision to leave.

And stayed anyways. Gabe sat in silence until, miracle of miracles, Beatrice and Rufus Hatchitt finally arrived. He hugged them both and set off, making a mental note to find the boys so he could get drunk off his ass.